Inside the Tower of London - Season 6

In the first episode: it's March 2023 and the Tower is preparing for one of the most important events in its 1000-year history – the crowning of a new monarch. Since the sad death of Queen Elizabeth II last year, the fortress has been serving King Charles III and slowly transitioning into a new era, but with the coronation date now on the horizon, it's a race to get everything ready for the big day.

Top of the agenda is changing all the royal cyphers – or personal monograms of the monarch - around the Tower. They're everywhere from buttons on the staff uniforms to sentry boxes, and one of the biggest updates needed is on the Beefeaters' ceremonial partisans. These ancient weapons would have been employed to defend the king or queen during Tudor times, although nowadays they're carried by the Yeoman Warders in the much more friendly ceremonial parades and gun salutes at the Tower. But updating a 70-year-old bit of kit isn't easy - for Chief Yeoman Warder Pete McGowran, it's a race against the clock to get the partisans ready in time.

Assistant Curator Alfred Hawkins needs to oversee the replacement of the Tower's biggest cypher. Sitting atop the iconic Jewel House and signalling the ownership of the priceless crown jewels by the monarch, this marks the start of the King's new reign.

Over at the raven enclosure, Ravenmaster Chris Skaife's precious flock are under serious threat. A nationwide outbreak of deadly avian flu means he's had to make a tough decision and put his seven feathered charges under lockdown. Although the enclosure has been enlarged for them, Chris also comes up with some imaginative ways to keep them entertained.

The Coronation may be the biggest event of the year but the first date in the Tower's calendar is Easter. In the café, Sous Chef Denis Idahosa has rustled up some delicious seasonal treats, while Curator and Public Historian Charles Farris and Yeoman Warder Barney Chandler investigate the fascinating history of Easter gift giving at the fortress – it didn't include chocolate eggs...! The Yeoman Warders put their best foot forward in a traditional Easter Parade - it's the last time they will be wearing their state ceremonial dress bearing the late Queen's initials, and it's a fitting way to say a final goodbye.

And Historic Royal Palaces Chief Curator Tracy Borman turns detective to reveal the truth behind an incredible treasure: a beautiful gold sovereign ring found by a metal detectorist in Kent. It's engraved with a mysterious bull symbol and a single initial and Tracy believes it could possibly belong to the family of Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII's notorious second wife. Tracy's hunt takes her all the way to Shurland Hall on the Isle of Sheppey, the ancestral home of one of Henry VIII's courtiers. Visited by King Henry and Anne Boleyn and their huge entourage on the way to France, Tracy reveals that the ring might have been owned by Anne's father Thomas, or brother George, before their dramatic downfall left one of them with their head on the block.
 

It's spring, and the Tower is now just weeks away from one the most important events in its 1000-year history – the crowning of a new monarch. Staff have been working hard to prepare for the new era, but one thing is yet to change – the Beefeaters' iconic uniforms. These world-famous uniforms still bear the royal monogram of the late Queen Elizabeth II, known as a cypher, and they must be updated to represent King Charles III.

In charge of this epic endeavour is Yeoman Gaoler Rob Fuller, who has drafted in master tailors Kashket and Partners for the job. But with hundreds of garments to create from scratch, getting them ready for a national press launch just ahead of the coronation will be a huge challenge.

And it's not all out with the old and in with the new. Chief Yeoman Warder Pete McGowran visits the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection at Hampton Court Palace, a priceless archive containing historic garments from Queen Elizabeth I's dress to gowns worn by Princess Diana. The latest addition to the collection will be Pete's old uniform, securing a place for the Yeoman Warders in this amazing historic archive of clothes.

As the new reign is ushered in, Yeoman Sergeant Jimmy James says a final goodbye to the monarch he served all his life: the late Queen. He meets Keeper of the Tower Armouries Emma Mawdsley, to look at a very special archive of photos cataloguing all of Queen Elizabeth II's visits to the Tower. Jimmy was lucky enough to have met the Queen – one of the highlights of his time at the fortress.

Meanwhile in the Tower's iconic moat, big changes are afoot. Last year saw this space transformed into a magnificent floral meadow garden in honour of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. Now Rhiannon Goddard, plans to turn this into a permanent fixture, but she's faced with the Herculean task of getting the hard frozen soil blooming again. She calls in help from London's last herd of working shire horses stationed at Hampton Court Palace. A much softer way of preparing the ground than using tractors, these gentle giants should make light work of tilling the earth - if they can adjust to the busy London traffic noises.

And Historic Royal Palaces Chief Curator Tracy Borman investigates perhaps the most influential woman in the life of Henry VIII – his beloved mother Elizabeth of York. She finds evidence of just how close the pair were, with Henry growing up alongside Elizabeth and even taking writing lessons from her. But her untimely death at the Tower just after giving birth to her seventh child scarred Henry – perhaps influencing him for life.

It's May 2023 and the Tower is preparing for the crowning of a new monarch. Among those featured is AJ, the first female Yeoman Warder to take part in a royal coronation. Plus, curator Charles Farris examines one of the most famous events in Tudor history - the coronation of Queen Anne Boleyn.

It's May 2023, the week after the coronation of King Charles III. Celebrations at the Tower are still in full swing, and highlight of the week is a spectacular concert, held at the Chapel of Saint Peter ad Vincula, where Handel's coronation anthems will be performed.

It's July 2023 and, after 14 years of loyal service, Pete McGowran has announced his retirement. He reflects on treasured memories, including when he gave Queen Elizabeth II a private tour of the Chapel. Over on the Tower's defensive wall, a crumbling turret on top of the Cradle Tower is in urgent need of repair.

It's mid-summer at the Tower of London, and the Beefeaters are preparing to say goodbye to their Chief Yeoman Warder, Pete McGowran. There is still plenty for Pete to do in his last few days at the fortress, including paying a visit to Ravenmaster Chris Skaife to learn the name of the recently arrived baby raven.